


A Hell of a Sin

by RonsGirlFriday



Series: Perfectly Imperfect Percy [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Study, Community: HPFT, Drabble Collection, F/M, Family, Gen, Hurt Percy Weasley, Light Angst, Microfic, Mild Sexual Content, POV Percy Weasley, Percy Weasley is a Dork, Percy Weasley-centric, Protective Percy Weasley, Seven Deadly Sins, Sexual Humor, Some Humor, Website: HPFanficTalk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25117084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonsGirlFriday/pseuds/RonsGirlFriday
Summary: A Percy-centric drabble collection based on the seven deadly sins(but pride twice, because Percy)Written for/prompted by the HPFT House Cup Finale 2020
Relationships: Audrey Weasley/Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater/Percy Weasley, Percy Weasley & Weasley Family
Series: Perfectly Imperfect Percy [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543966
Comments: 23
Kudos: 66





	1. Greed

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! I was prompted to write drabbles (100-200 words) based on the seven deadly sins. So I decided to do all 7 in a Percy-centric collection. This will begin when he's 12 and will go up to when he's 50-ish. There's no overarching plot here or anything linking one drabble to another except that they are about Percy and based in some way on one of the deadly sins. 
> 
> The sin/prompt for each drabble is found in the title for that chapter.
> 
> The fic title is taken from a line in my fic "Ignatius," where Aberforth Dumbledore says to Percy, "Pride's a hell of a sin, boy."
> 
> Some of these drabbles directly reference canon events, and where they do I'll note it at the beginning of the chapter.

Percy was wearing robes that had already lived through the Bill and Charlie eras when Professor McGonagall asked him which subjects he’d like to take in his upcoming Third Year.

Bill got twelve OWLs. Bill was fully expected to achieve seven NEWTs. Bill was being courted by three different employers with three months of school left to go.

When Percy had overheard Bill discussing starting salary prospects with Charlie — wondering how he might be able to balance helping Mum and Dad if they’d let him (they would never) with also trying to get his own place — Percy, in full shock, had missed the next step and nearly toppled down the stairs.

“All of them,” he said quietly in response to the professor’s question.

“Mr. Weasley, I’m aware your marks are excellent, but you do understand that is an enormous undertaking?”

Percy nodded and spoke again, more firmly this time.

“I’ll take all of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't actually think Percy is greedy, let's get that out of the way. The prompt is what it is. Sometimes I might subvert the prompts in some way. Sometimes I might approach them humorously. You'll find no Weasley bashing here, Percy or otherwise.)


	2. Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> A missing moment from _Chamber of Secrets,_ chapter 18:  
> "He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day."  
> \-- Ginny Weasley
> 
>   
> Picspam by me!
> 
> * * *

_...So that’s what they feel like. Oh, that’s brilliant._

_All right, don’t cock this up. What am I supposed to be doing with... Charlie said --_

_Don’t listen to Charlie, he’s a liar._

_How do I get this… Can I take it off if her shirt’s still on? Where’s the…_

_Charlie. Bloody liar, he said it unclasps in the back._

_Must. Touch. More skin._

_Wait._

_Did we… Did we lock the door?_

_Shit. Did we?_

“Penny…” he murmured against her mouth.

“Hmm.” Her teeth grazed his lower lip and he momentarily forgot his own name before making another valiant attempt at responsibility.

“D’you think -- ”

_Where… What’s she doing?_

_Fuck._

_Fuuucking Christ._

_Door’s fine._

_I locked it, nobody ventures in here anywa-- oh God, that’s right fucking proper…_

_Oh, no._

_Weasley, no._

_Quick. Three exemptions to the fourth exception to Gamp’s Law. One, temporary --_

The sound of the classroom door opening was followed by a gasp, and Percy no longer needed to worry what was happening inside his trousers with Penny’s hand brushing against them. Life as he knew it was over.

His hand was still up her shirt when he turned, involuntarily, to lock horrified eyes with the intruder.

“Ginny!”


	3. Sloth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A missing moment from _Goblet of Fire,_ chapter 5:  
>  _"Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"_  
>  _"Very badly," said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut again._

  
  


Percy closed his window and sank back onto his bed. He had, in fact, finished his report on cauldron standards half an hour earlier but could not bring himself to go outside and join in the… he supposed _merriment_ would be what everyone else called it.

He would go down for dinner and not a moment sooner. Less time for boredom and forced smiles. Less time being reminded how very little he belonged. Less time in the shadow of his idols.

He used to look forward to Bill and Charlie coming home.

Percy would have liked to say that he sat in peace and quiet, in the comfort of his own thoughts, until his mother announced dinner — but inside his head, there was neither comfort nor peace to be found.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We typically think of sloth as meaning physically lazy, but it's translated from the Latin _acedia_ and also has a mental aspect along the lines of indifference, listlessness, etc. So that translation/definition informed how I approached this drabble. Because of all Percy's sins, laziness definitely ain't one.


	4. Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> A missing moment from _Order of the Phoenix,_ chapter 4:  
>  _"Mum's been in a right state," said Ron dully.  
>  "She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face."_
> 
> * * *

  
  
Head in his arms, he slid to the floor, weeping quietly into his left sleeve, right palm pressed against the front door of his flat.

His mother was crying, he could hear it in her voice. For a full ten minutes since he’d shut the door in her face, she hadn’t given up; and for a full ten minutes, he hadn’t said a word in response.

If he had done, she’d have heard it in his voice, too.

She was so close; if it weren’t for a plank of wood in between them, he could have reached out and touched her...

“Percy! Percy dear, can’t we just talk for a moment? Please! We don’t… we don’t even have to talk about Dad…”

Heat flooding his face, Percy lifted his head and glared at the door, furiously wiping away the tears and willing his voice not to quaver.

“I’ve got nothing to say to Father _or_ you!”

Molly fell silent, and Percy waited, lip trembling like a child’s until he heard, at last, footsteps fading away down the stairs.

Alone and right, he buried his face in his hands and let the sobs come.  



	5. Pride, revisited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A post-war moment recalling the mashed parsnips incident of 1996 _(Half-Blood Prince)_

  
  
“Parsnips? Your favorite.”

Percy caught the subtle inflection and glanced sideways at George, who was failing spectacularly in his attempt to suppress a smirk as he offered the bowl of mash in front of Percy’s face.

“Smart-arse,” he muttered, though more amused than annoyed.

“Language, Percy!” shot Molly, perhaps all the more scandalized for the fact that Percy had never said even a mild swear in front of his mum in his life, let alone at the table.

“Sorry, Mum,” he said automatically, once again all of twelve years old. But even as his cheeks warmed under the rebuke, he unsuccessfully bit back smile of his own. So much in life was different now, but some things never changed.

He’d just begun scooping mashed parsnips onto his plate when George added casually, “Watch out, they’re sometimes known to fly” — earning himself a jab of Percy’s elbow.

It was the first joke his brother had made at Percy’s expense since May.

Until that moment, Percy hadn’t realized just how desperately he’d been wanting to hear it.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> George is cheekily referencing the incident in which somebody (George, Fred, and Ginny all took credit for it) flung mashed parsnips at Percy when he accompanied Scrimgeour to the Burrow on Christmas Day in HBP (chapter 16-17).


	6. Gluttony

  
  


Percy had never Splinched himself, but by his own estimation it was a distinct possibility as he Apparated home the morning after George’s stag do. Instead of destination, determination, and deliberation, all he could think about was displeasure, (in)digestion, and detaching his head from his body.

How much did he drink?

_What_ did he drink?

This was all Charlie’s fault.

Entering his flat, he concentrated on not puking all over the floor -- he’d just cleaned his floors two days earlier, though for the life of him he didn’t know why he’d done it _before_ Charlie came to stay. At any rate, it hurt too much to think about it -- or anything -- any further.

“So,” said a tired but cheeky voice from the kitchenette, thrumming throughout Percy’s brain like a tuba. “The blonde?”

Percy glared as Charlie drew two coffee mugs from the cupboard, making far more noise than necessary.

“Tea? Coffee?” Charlie quirked an eyebrow. “Shot?”

Sinking onto the sofa, Percy placed his forehead in his hand. “Just... Obliviate me, will you?”

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t remember… but _we_ all would.”

Percy sighed, pulling a pillow over his face.

“Coffee. Kilo of sugar.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I love connecting my stories, and this right here is the aftermath of the infamous stag party referenced in chapter 14 of _Irrational_ and chapter 8 of _Must Be One of Arthur's Boys_ (as well as "that one time" that Percy would rather forget that's mentioned in _Irrepressible_ ).


	7. Envy

  
  
Percy allowed himself the time it took to shower, brush his teeth, and glare at his hairline, to steep in his jealousy and then smarten up and move on.

His entire life was defined by struggle, and even now he remained locked in unfulfilling positions because it was “where his talents were most needed.” _(Also,_ nobody ever added, _because of the supreme cock-ups of your youth.)_

Audrey was intelligent, capable… and passive. Yet opportunity had fallen into her lap without her seeking it out. Stupid thing was, that job didn’t even interest Percy. It suited Audrey, and what’s more, she undoubtedly deserved it. But why couldn’t it be that easy for him?

In the bedroom, Percy retrieved his watch atop the nightstand, placing it in the drawer next to a small velvet box Audrey didn’t know about yet. Then he settled into bed, stroking her cheek, looking into the eyes that would still have seen him as worthy if all he ever did was fetch tea for others.

The fact was, Audrey had been entrusted with the Wizengamot’s collective ear for the same reason she’d been entrusted with Percy Weasley’s heart.

She was certain to do great things with it.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This... may or may not be related in some capacity to these characters as they appear in _Irrational,_ if you follow that one -- but don't hold me to anything specific, since I spit out this drabble before getting anywhere near finishing that fic, and I'm not making any representations that this will be some kind of plot point in that story. <3


	8. Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: There is a brief reference to domestic abuse having been committed against someone before this scene takes place (swear to God, it's not how it sounds right now; someone else did it).

  
  
Thirty years after Arthur Weasley confronted Albert Runcorn in a Ministry lift, a man who could have passed for Arthur’s twin entered that same one. Genteel, immaculate, eleven stone soaking wet, the Head of Transportation might have seemed more precious than powerful.

“Mr. Weasley.” The younger man in the lift nodded as several others exited, leaving the two of them alone.

“Eddie,” replied Percy pleasantly, just before the lift began to descend.

Between them stood the dragon in the room, the mental image of a vivacious young woman with her eye blackened. Not that Eddie knew that Percy knew — at least, not until now.

“If you ever touch my daughter again,” offered Percy without preamble, his voice light and even as he studied the lift buttons impassively, “I’ll end you.”

A stunned silence followed.

“You trying to threaten me?”

Percy checked his watch and adjusted his cuff, supremely unruffled. “I’m enlightening you.”

The lift doors opened again, and Percy flashed a small but affable smile at the Head Auror and Minister for Magic on the other side.

“Harry. Hermione.”

“Alright, Percy?”

“Alright.” He stepped off the lift, glancing over his shoulder as he departed.

“Take care, now, Eddie.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, friends, this ended on a dark note, but also a weirdly positive one, I think? Once I got this scene in my head I couldn't get it out. Protective!Percy makes me very happy. And there are just several reasons I liked what I did with him here.
> 
> Sickle for your thoughts in a review? Thank you for reading! <3


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